Art
is a valuable
tool for
students to
learn how to
express
themselves,
work through a
process, work
cooperatively,
and gain
respect and
understanding
for others.
How can we
teach art in
all subject
areas so that
students
benefit from
the learning
opportunities
that art
affords them?
For more ways
art
instruction
benefits
students, read
“Ten
reasons why
teaching the
arts is
critical in a
21st century
world” by
Elliott Seif.

Below
are examples
of the arts
blended with
other
curriculum
areas, helping
students to
draw out a
deeper
understanding
and
appreciation
for both
familiar and
unfamiliar
concepts.

Science
See art as a
tool to make
meaning of our
relationship
with the
natural world
in Art
Through Time,
program 10, “The Natural
World.”

Seventh
graders
combine
science,
dance, and
language arts
as they
compare the
anatomy of a
frog and a
human and then
debate whether
a frog could
join a ballet
company. Connecting
With the Arts
Library,
program 11, “Can Frogs
Dance?”
has the video
and student
materials.

MathematicsMathematicians
understand
symmetry
differently
than the rest
of us, as a
fundamental
aspect of
group theory.
Learn more in
Mathematics
Illuminated,
unit 6, “The
Beauty of
Symmetry,”
which includes
a symmetry
interactive.
Students can
manipulate a
wallpaper
design to
practice
common
geometric
motions such
as rotation
and
reflection.

Artifacts
& Fiction,
session 1, “Visual
Arts,”
shows how
visual art,
paired with
literature,
can be used to
enhance
students’
understanding
of the
predominant
culture and
historical
setting of a
work of
literature.

Foreign
Languages
Latin students
learn the
difference
between
translating
and
interpreting
the language
using music
and literary
works of
Mozart,
Vergil, and
Cicero. See Teaching
Foreign
Languages K-12,
program 24, “Music
and
Manuscripts.”

In Teaching
Foreign
Languages,
program 29, “Interpreting
Literature,”
students
discuss “Dos
caras” (Two
faces) by New
Mexico author
Sabine
Ulibarri. They
act out scenes
and make
comparisons to
a painting by
a local
artist.
In program 27,
“Interpreting
Picasso’s Guernica,”
students write
and deliver
radio
newscasts
interpreting
the scene in
the famous
painting.

Social
Studies
Fifth graders
in The
Arts in Every
Classroom,
program 6, “Teaching
Visual Art,”
view
portraits,
looking beyond
the face for
historical
cues. They
continue the
lesson by
creating new
portraits that
reveal clues
to the lives
of their
subjects
through
clothing,
expressions,
and
background.

Energy is a
hot topic of
debate in the
United States.
The government
examines
alternative
energy sources
for various
reasons,
including
environmental
impact,
political
relationships
with other
countries, and
economics. New
Scientist
reports that
the U.S. plans
to generate 20
percent of its
electricity
from wind
turbines
by 2030 and
has approved
construction
of new nuclear
reactorsfor
the first time
since 1978.
Give students
facts to help
them debate the
pros and cons
of using
these
energy sources.The
Habitable
Planet,
unit 10,
“Energy
Challenges,”
section 10,
Wind Power,
explains how
wind turbines
work and the
benefits and
challenges of
using these
strange-looking
harnesses of
energy.
Section 6, Nuclear
Power,
explains how
nuclear
reactors work
and also
weighs the
benefits and
the challenges
of using
nuclear
energy.

Stem Cell
Research

Ophthalmologists
at UCLA’s
Jules Stein
Eye Institute,
in an experimental
treatment,
used human
embryonic stem
cells to
partially
restore the
sight of two
women.
Markus Grompe,
MD, explains
what stem
cells are in
an interview
in
Rediscovering
Biology,
unit 7, “Genetics
of Development.”
Watch the
video from
17:05 to learn
about how stem cells
work and what
researchers
hope to find
in their
studies of
stem cell
uses.

In honor of
both Women’s
History Month
and Expanding
Girls’
Horizons in
Science and
Engineering
Month, we
share the
stories of
inspirational
women
scientists.
Introduce your
students to
women who are
making great
contributions
in science.
Three of the
scientists,
Lene Hau,
Deborah Jin,
and Nergis
Mavalvala,
whose work is
featured in
Physics for
the 21st
Century,
are MacArthur
Foundation
fellows,
winners of the
“genius
award.”

In
Physics for
the 21st
Century,
unit 10, “Dark
Matter,”
section 2, Initial
Evidence of
Dark Matter,
learn about
Vera Cooper
Rubin, one of
first
astronomers to
measure the
rotational
velocities of
interstellar
matter in
orbit which
led to the
current
understanding
of dark
matter.

Unit 7, “Manipulating
Light,”
features Lene
Hau,
Mallinckrodt
Professor of
Physics and of
Applied
Physics at
Harvard
University and
known as “the
woman who
stopped
light.” Dr.
Hau explains
how she first
became
interested in
physics and
quantum
mechanics.

Unit 6, “Macroscopic
Quantum
Mechanics,”
features Jenny
Hoffman and
Deborah S.
Jin. Hoffman,
an assistant
professor of
physics at
Harvard
University,
talks about
how she
explores ideas
before she
develops her
hypothesis as
part of the
scientific
process. Jin,
a physicist
with the
National
Institute of
Standards and
Technology
(NIST), talks
about the
history of the
Bose-Einstein
condensate and
her related
research.

More
inspirational
profiles and
interviews
with women
biologists and
physicists:

Brain
Awareness
Week,
organized by
the Dana
Alliance for
Brain
Initiatives
and the
Society for
Neuroscience,
promotes the
public and
personal
benefits of
brain
research. It
is a great
time to
explore
Neuroscience
& the
Classroom:
Making
Connections,
our newest
course for
teachers. This
course
empowers
teachers to
improve
instruction by
understanding
brain
research,
including how
emotions
factor into
learning.
Parts of this
course can
also be used
in psychology
classrooms.

Emotions
play a role in
our memory,
learning, and
problem
solving. In
unit 2, “The
Unity of
Emotion,
Thinking, and
Learning,”
section 5, Emotional
Thinking,
discover how
students are
more engaged
when solving
problems
connected to
their lives
and,
ultimately,
their
emotions. See
a video on how
emotion can
enhance
learning in a
math class.

In unit 5, “Building
New Neural
Networks,”
Harvard
professor Kurt
Fischer
explains the
plasticity of
the brain and
how students
truly
understand
concepts when
they build
them into
their neural
networks and
are able to
use the
concepts in
new contexts
and in
creative ways.

What happens
when one half
of your brain
is removed?
See
fascinating
case studies
of Brooke and
Nico, two
young men who
have learned
to live with
just one
hemisphere of
the brain in
unit 1,
“Different
Brains,”
section 4, Succeeding
with Half a
Brain.

National
Wildlife Week
(March 19-25)National
Wildlife Week,
initiated in
1938 by the
National
Wildlife
Federation,
aims to
connect
families and
communities to
nature, help
them raise
healthier
kids, and
inspire a
life-long
appreciation
of wildlife
and the
environment.
The following
resources
provide expert
information on
ecosystems,
wildlife
diversity, and
the effect of
humans on
those systems.

In
unit 4, “Ecosystems,”
of The
Habitable
Planet,
review energy
flow,
population
growth, and
natural
selection.
Build your own
ecosystem
using the Ecology Lab
Interactive
and see how
interrelated
living species
are when you
add or take
away just one
species.

Also in unit
4, “Ecosystems,”
read an
interview with
scientist
Robert
Crabtree,
founder of
Yellowstone
Ecological
Research
Center. The
center
specializes in
long-term
studies in the
Yellowstone
ecosystem.

Life
Science,
session 7, “Energy Flow
in Communities,”
defines
producers,
consumers, and
decomposers
and looks at
the way energy
moves through
a
community.
In the Children’s
Ideas
section of
this course,
see common
ideas
elementary-age
students have
about energy
flow in a
community to
inform your
instruction.

Paul Revere’s
engraving of
the “Boston
Massacre,” in
the video transcript
of A
Biography of
America,
program 4,
“The Coming of
Independence,”
shows redcoats
shooting at
unarmed
civilians.
Boston at that
time was in
conflict with
England and
refused to be
bullied by the
armed soldiers
of the British
government.
Watch from
8:10 in the video for
expert
commentary on
this event.
More
Commemorative
March Days

For resources
on National
Grammar Day
(March 4),
Harriet Tubman
Day (March
10), and Pi
Day (March
14), see the March 2011
Update.

Notable
March
BirthdaysRobert
Lowell, poet
(March 1,
1917)

Robert Lowell
shifted the
focus of his
poetic work
from historic
commentary to
one more
typical of
confessional
poets at his
time. See a
video of his
life and work
in Voices
and Visions,
program 7, “Robert Lowell.”

The geographic
information on
maps can
provide
insights into
historical
points of
view. For
example, in
1569, Gerardus
Mercator
created a
world map that
projected the
Northern
Hemisphere as
much bigger
than it is,
leading Europe
in its ideas
of
self-importance
in the world.
Read about
maps created
by Mercator
and other
cartographers
and watch the
video segment,
Cartographical
Constructs,
in Bridging
World History,
unit 1, “Maps,
Time, and
World
History.”

Michelangelo
Buonarroti,
artist (March
6, 1475)

St. Peter’s
Basilica and
St. Peter’s
Square is a
featured work
in Art
Through Time,
program 11, “The Urban
Experience.”
Michelangelo
became the
architectural
supervisor of
the basilica
in the 1540s.
Its looming
presence
demonstrated
that the
church was
regaining
power in Rome.

Michelangelo’s
“Creation of
Adam” is one
of the most
popular
segments of
ceiling art in
the Sistine
Chapel. See
the painting
with its
depiction of
the human body
and traits
that mirror
the god-like
body in Art
Through Time,
program 13, “The Body.”

Direct
students to
the
Renaissance
Interactive
to learn about
artists such
as
Michelangelo
and the
characteristics
of the art and
architecture
they produced
from their
studies in
Florence.

Art of the
Western World,
program 4, “The High
Renaissance,”
part I, shows
how
Michelangelo
and others
raised the
artist’s
status in
Italy.

Learner
Log, our
new blog
space, is up.
Blog topics
relate to
strategizing
how to improve
instruction
based on how
students learn
and building
content
knowledge in
specific
subject areas.
We encourage
you to use
Learner Log to
reflect and
broaden the
discussion of
your teaching
practice as
you create
excellent
learning
environments.
Click on Blog
on our
homepage to
read and start
commenting.

Journey North
has a NEW
Mobile App

Coming this
spring! Take Journey
North
outdoors with
a new mobile
app.

Video on
Demand FAQ

Q:
How do I make
the Video on
Demand (VoD)
screen larger?

A: If you're
using Windows
Media Player,
simply
right-click
with your
mouse on the
video screen,
and once the
video starts
playing,
select "zoom"
to enlarge the
picture to
full screen
mode. While
viewing a
Flash video,
[see image]
click on the
small square
in the lower
right-hand
corner of the
video screen.
If you're
using Internet
Explorer and
can't zoom to
full screen,
install the
latest version
of Adobe
Flash (ver
11.1.102.55 or
higher) and
then close and
restart
Internet
Explorer.

Annenberg
Foundation
Update

The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands Opens

Opening March
1, 2012, the
Annenberg
Retreat at
Sunnylands,
the home of
the late
Ambassador
Walter
Annenberg and
his wife
Leonore, will
present and
host
conferences,
retreats, and
seminars on
issues of
national and
international
importance.
Working with
global leaders
from fields
including
government,
philanthropy,
education, and
the arts,
staff will
develop
programs
designed to
have an impact
on
society.
Click on this
LA Times blog
to learn more
about key
points in the
history of the
Sunnylands
estate.

The Annenberg
Space for
Photography
currently
presents “Digital
Darkroom,”
featuring the
work of 17
artists from
around the
world.
Compare their
images created
using
Photoshop with
more
traditional
paintings and
sculptures of
dreamscapes
and personal
fantasies by
past artists,
from
aboriginal
artists to
surrealists in
program 2, “Dreams
and Visions,”
of Art
Through Time.

Keep up with
news and
information
about the
Annenberg
Foundation by
subscribing
to one or more
of the
Foundation
newsletters.

Distance
Learning
Update

Reminder! Distance learning licenses for
spring 2012
are now due.
We have
flexible
licensing
options to
include
licensing by
the program as
well as by the
full
series.

Economics U$A
has been
updated as Economics
U$A: 21st
Century
Edition.
We are
extending a
20% discount
off our 'per
year license
fee.’ Contact
distancelearning@learner.org
for more
information.

Join us March
29 through 31
at the
National
Science
Teachers
Association
(NSTA) conference
in
Indianapolis.
Stop by booth
973 to talk
about our
professional
development
and student
resources
related to
environmental
science,
physics, and
more.